Italian Wedding Soup (One Pot)

Classic, quick and easy Italian wedding soup recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop in 30 minutes. Loaded with vegetables, broth, meatballs, pasta.

This soup is going to warm your soul. It’s delicious and comforting, especially during these cold winter days just like my Pasta Fagioli/ Pasta E Fagioli Soup (One Pot) and Italian Meatball Soup (One Pot).

What is Italian wedding soup? Do you serve it at weddings?

It is a soup typically containing meatballs, pasta, greens, and a clear broth. The Italian name for the soup is “minestra maritata,” which translates to “marriage soup,” referring to the marriage of flavors in the soup. It is not typically served at weddings. Unfortunately, the name of the soup has been mistranslated leading to that assumption.

How to make Italian wedding soup from scratch?

1. Heat butter and oil– Until butter is fully melted.
2. Add onion, carrots celery, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning– Cook for 5 minutes until veggies are softened.
3. Add wine and deglaze the pan– Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the flavorful brown bits.
4. Add broth– Bring to a boil.
5. Add pasta and meatballs– Continue cooking, uncovered for about 10 minutes.
6. Mix in spinach- Then, immediately, turn off heat.
7. Enjoy! Serve in deep bowls with lost of parmesan cheese and dig in!

What sides to serve with best Italian wedding soup recipe?

Soup always pairs well with things you can dip in it such as breads such as breadsticks, garlic bread, crackers, rolls, biscuits, or garlic bread, dinner rolls, a crusty baguette, pita bread, biscuits, naan, homemade biscuits and even Grilled Cheese Sandwich (One Pan).

You can also serve this soup with a simple green salad, or another light vegetable such as Oven Roasted Carrots (One Pan), or Oven Roasted Cauliflower (One Pan), or Oven Roasted Asparagus (One Pan).

Storage

• Refrigerate– Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Freeze– You cannot freeze this soup once the pasta is added. You can freeze the broth-based soup though in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• Reheat– When reheating from the fridge, simply heat this soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. You will need to add broth or water because the pasta will have absorbed a lot of the liquid while in the fridge. When reheating from frozen, heat on stovetop, remembering to add the uncooked pasta and allow it to cook through.

Variations

Use different vegetables– Such as kale, curly endive, or escarole, green peppers, or zucchini.

Use other pasta– They should be small size. Try orzo, ditalini or mini shells.

Make it spicy– Add red pepper flakes for more a kick.

Use other meats– You can use turkey, chicken, pork, or beef meatballs, or even crumbled mild or spicy Italian sausage.

Try other seasonings– I used Italian seasoning but you can use any other seasoning blend you like such as Mexican taco seasoning, Indian curry powder, Cajun jerk seasoning e.t.c.

Make it creamy– Add half and half or heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk to make the soup very creamy.

Add tortellini– Replace dry pasta with your favorite cooked tortellini. Mix it in near the end in the final 5-10 minutes.

Garnish options– Try fresh herbs such as finely chopped parsley, basil, cilantro or shredded cheese like parmesan or mozzarella.

What other leafy green vegetables can be used in soup? Kale, curly endive, or escarole all are great substitutions.

Tips and Techniques

Acini di pepe pasta substitute– You can use orzo, ditalini, or any other small pasta such as elbow macaroni noodles.

What is Acini di pepe pasta? Where can I find it? It is a small pearl shaped pasta, often used in soups. You can find it at most major grocery stores or Italian grocery chains in the pasta aisle.

Do I cook the pasta before adding it? You do not need to cook the pasta before adding it because it will cook in the soup.

Frozen spinach vs. Fresh spinach– I prefer fresh roughly chopped spinach, but you can use frozen spinach if that is what you have. Simply thaw it, drain the excess water, and add it to the soup.

Store-bought frozen meatballs vs. Fresh homemade meatballs– I used frozen meatballs in this recipe for convenience purposes. Just make sure they are pre-cooked. You can use fresh meatballs, if you prefer the flavor or have the time. Either will work.

You must use mini meatballs– Regular sized meatballs are too big to eat in a spoonful of soup. You want to be able to get a little bit of each ingredient in each bite.

What kind of wine to use? I used white wine. You can use cooking wine, or leftover chardonnay if you have that. Just make sure it is white and not red wine. That will change the color and flavor of the soup too much.

How to thin soup? Add more broth or water.

How to thicken soup? Allow the soup to sit for a little while and the pasta will absorbs some of the liquid, making the soup thicker. You can also continue cooking the soup to reduce the liquid by allowing it time to evaporate. You can also mix in heavy cream but that will alter the flavor

Use unsalted butter and low sodium broth– This prevents the soup from becoming too salty.

Use a non-stick pot- This prevents the soup from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Pasta absorbs broth– Serve this soup immediately because as it sits, the pasta will absorb the liquid making the soup thicker. If this happens, simply add more broth to thin it out to your desired consistency.

More One Pot Soup Recipes

• Chicken Vegetable Soup (One Pot)
• One Pot Lasagna Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup Recipe (One Pot)
• Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe (One Pot)
• Tomato Tortellini Soup (One Pot)

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One Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Quick and easy Italian wedding soup recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop in 30 minutes. Loaded with vegetables, meatballs, pasta.

Yield: 6 People

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 cup Onion, Finely chopped
• 1 cup Carrots, Washed, Peeled, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Washed, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Finely minced
• Salt, To taste
• Pepper, To taste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup White wine
• 9 cups Chicken broth, Low sodium
• 1 cup Acini di pepe pasta, Dry, Uncooked
• 1 pound Frozen meatballs, Pre-cooked
• 5 oz. Baby spinach, Fresh, Roughly chopped if you like
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, Freshly grated, For topping

Instructions 

• Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, carrots celery, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and cook for 5 minutes, until veggies are softened.
• Add wine and deglaze the pan. Be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the flavorful brown bits.
• Add broth and bring to a boil.
• Add pasta and meatballs and continue cooking, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
• Finally, mix in spinach and immediately, turn off heat. Allow the heat to soften and wilt the spinach (about 1-2 minutes).
• Serve in deep bowls with a generous topping of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

• Read all my tips above.
• Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in microwave or stovetop. Additional broth or water will need to be added when reheated since the pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid and can make the soup thick and chunky. 

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 1526mg, Potassium: 793mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 5952IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 149mg, Iron: 3mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 405

Author: Abeer Rizvi